Sherman’s Lagoon opens at the National Aquarium, Washington

8/2/2010

This past weekend, the National Aquarium, Washington, DC hosted its annual Shark weekend celebration and introduced its newest exhibit, Sherman’s Lagoon. The permanent exhibit is home to Sherman the Shark, a popular character created by nationally syndicated cartoonist Jim Toomey, and is dedicated to the Aquarium’s important work on shark education and conservation.

Jim Toomey partnered with the Aquarium’s shark experts to share his creative ideas of communicating fun and interesting facts about sharks. The exhibit features interactive workstations, educational videos, shark myths and conservation messages from Sherman the Shark. Activities include spinning the “Wheel of Doom” to learn about the dangers that sharks face as well as an art station where visitors can draw their own illustrations of Sherman.

Sherman himself has been brought to life as a costumed character exclusively for the Aquarium. Sherman helps promote greater awareness and protection of these ancient, mysterious and often misunderstood ocean dwellers.

“For nearly 30 years, the National Aquarium has been a leader in shark conservation through our care and research,” commented Bob Ramin, executive director of the National Aquarium’s DC venue. “With the help of Jim Toomey, we have created an engaging exhibit that will now help us educate our visitors about the importance of shark conservation and eliminate misconceptions about these fascinating ocean creatures.”

Sherman’s Lagoon is one of the many exhibits in the aquarium that incorporates education with fun. While tending to the activities, visitors will learn about sharks and the National Aquarium’s ongoing work in shark conservation and protection.

Visitors are encouraged by the Aquarium to help their cause by signing a personalized petition to send to congressional lawmakers just down the street in support of the Shark Conservation Act. The act is intended to protect sharks, mainly from fishing and shark finning, from possible endangerment or extinction. On average around 73 million sharks are killed each year equating to around 200,000 per day, making them one of the most threatened animals in our waters.

After exploring Sherman’s Lagoon visitors can also stop by the Channel Islands, National Marine Sanctuary Exhibit to see the various sharks lurk around in their exhibit and witness Lunchtime with Sharks, one of the Aquariums many daily animal encounters. Feeding of the Leopard, Swell and Horn shark take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. Visitors will also learn what makes sharks different from other ocean creatures.

Conservation of animals and the environment continues to be a large priority of the National Aquarium. The National Aquarium promotes respect and care for the environment and the animals that live in it through research and multiple education programs. To learn more about the National Aquarium’s conservation work, aqua.org.

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Sherman’s Lagoon opens at the National Aquarium, Washington

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